European Kingdoms

Western Europe

Domain of SoissonsAD 461 - 486

Soissons
had formerly been the tribal capital of the
Celtic tribe of
the Suessiones. By
the fifth century they had become completely Romanised, and Roman government
in the area that was centred on Soissons (Roman Noviodunum) was maintained
after the dramatic events of AD 418. In that year a treaty was signed
granting the
Visigoths
dominion over the former province of Gallia Aquitania, the south-western
portion of Gaul. At the same time, in the north of Gaul the
Franks
were increasing their influence. Following a further revolt in 417, the
Armoricans
were also almost completely independent of Rome, but Auxerre on the Yonne
remained under Roman control, as did the new capital of Roman Gaul at Arles.
The northern region also managed to retain a Roman government based at
Soissons, although more and more often Rome was being forced to use
barbarian foederati to solve its problems rather than increasingly
rare Roman troops.

Soissons commanded a broad swathe of territory across the full width of
northern Gaul, even though the region became more and more isolated from
Italy, with Frankish
states to the north and east and the Visigoth kingdom to the south. By the
time of Emperor Majorian's reign, Soissons was the only remaining Roman
territory in Gaul, with a fairly narrow corridor connecting it to Italy.
That corridor was annexed by the
Germanic tribes now occupying
Gaul, effectively cutting off the commander at Soissons, Aegidius, and his
citizens from the empire.

During the collapse of the
Western Roman empire,
Emperor Majorian proved to be a little too popular, taking the field in
person and leading the failing Roman army to victories over the Visigoths and
Burgundians,
and restoring Hispania. His supreme military commander, Ricimer, made sure he
met with a swift end. Aegidius was now intent on avenging his master's death,
but despite being Majorian's magister militum per Gallias, he was
prevented from marching on Rome when Ricimer hired the previously defeated
Visigoths and Burgundians to block him. Aegidius' troops remained loyal to
him and Rome again lost its authority in Soissons, which remained governed
by Aegidius.

Aegidius was followed (eventually) by his son, Syagrius, and the area he
governed is often incorrectly called the 'Kingdom of Soissons' or the 'Kingdom
of Syagrius'. In reality however it was neither ruled by a king (although
Syagrius was sometimes called Rex Romanorum ('King of the Romans'),
probably by the barbarians settled on Soissons' borders), nor was it
considered by its citizens as anything other than a separated province of
the Western Roman empire. The term 'domain' is used by scholars.

(Additional information from The Oxford History of England: Roman
Britain, Peter Salway.)

Paulus effects
a reconciliation of sorts with the Roman
court at Ravenna, and acts in concert with them.

468 - 469

Riothamus,
'King of the Britons', crosses the Channel to
Gaul, bringing 12,000
ship-borne troops. He remains in the country for a year or more, perhaps
reinforced by
Armorican
Bretons, and is able to advance to Bourges (the ancient territory of the
Bituriges) and
even further. Gaul's imperial prefect, the deputy of the
Western Roman emperor,
treacherously undermines him by apparently dealing with the
Visigoths, probably
to try and divert the Visigothic king to attacking the Breton territories to
the benefit of Roman holdings.

Caught by surprise by the Visigoths, Riothamus fights a drawn-out battle near
Bourges but is eventually defeated when no imperial forces come to his assistance.
He escapes with the remnants of his army into the nearby territory of the
Burgundians,
never to be heard of again. A second battle soon follows which involves a
combined army consisting of units of Romans, troops from Soissons under
Comes Paulus, and Burgundian foederati, but they are also defeated,
and Soissons and Armorica are cut off from Rome. This would seem a likely
point for Paulus' own death, leaving Syagrius in full command of Soissons.
Soissons probably owes its survival to Childeric's
Frankish kingdom
at Cambrai, on the northern border, plus friendly relations with the Britons
in Armorica.

469? - 486

Syagrius

Son of Aegidius.
Dux of Soissons.

476

The
Western Roman empire
formally comes to an end (with a rump state surviving in the Balkans until
480), but Syagrius continues to proclaim his rule in the name of Rome,
continuing to trade trading with Armorica and maintaining Soissons as
a Roman domain.

481 - 486

Childeric
dies in 481, and his son Clovis becomes the
Frankish king.
Clovis makes continual war against Syagrius, and in 486 he assembles an
army which includes at least one allied Frankish
Minor King,
Ragnachar. At the subsequent Battle of Soissons, Clovis conquers the
last of the Roman
territory to be governed by Syagrius. Syagrius seeks refuge with the
Visigothic
king Alaric II, but is betrayed, captured, and sent to Clovis, who has
him executed in 487.

The Frankish conquest of Soissons in 486 allowed Clovis to
plunder far and wide, slowly adding to his kingdom. A large vase
stolen from the church at Rheims lead to a dispute between
Clovis and one of his warriors, with the result that the latter
was killed by the king

The Franks under Clovis are now completely dominant in northern
Gaul and Roman control
has been thrown off. The death of Syagrius also sends a signal to the
Saxons
and other Germanic peoples
that attempting to settle in Gaul is now hopeless. This would seem to be the
single defining event that forces the Saxons to turn their attention to
invading
Britain
instead.

511

On
the death of Clovis, the kingdom is divided between his four sons, each
ruling Austrasia,
Orleans,
Paris, and Soissons. Chlothar,
king of Soissons is nominally the senior king of the
Franks (Chlothar
is also credited with establishing the basis of early Frankish monarchy in
Gaul).